Arsenal is stepping up their pursuit of Emiliano Buendia as they look at Martin Odegaard alternatives this summer.
No official offer has been made yet
The Gunners are longtime fans of the Norwich playmaker and have watched him countless incidents during his three-year stint on Carrow Road. And now they are gearing up to cement that interest, with Mikel Arteta looking to add another creative player to their roster ahead of the 2021-22 season. Arsenal has yet to make an official bid for Emiliano, but it has moved to the top of their list of playmaker goals as discussions within the club expand ahead of the summer transfer window. Martin Odegaard has spent the second half of this season on loan in North London from Real, and Mikel hopes to keep Norway international for at least another year. But the future of Martin Odegaard remains unclear, and Madrid expects to give him a chance next season if current boss Zidane moves on towards the end of the campaign. So Arsenal is looking at other options, with Real Betis’ Nabil Fekir on their list of possible targets, but CTO Edu has begun to increase the club’s interest in Emiliano Buendia, who is interested in moving to north London.
Why is Arsenal considering the Emiliano option?
One of Arsenal’s priorities this summer is to add more creativity to the squad that has struggled to beat the teams this season. And they see Emiliano, who was just named the Championship player of the season, as someone who could come in and make a real difference during the 2021-22 campaign. The 24-year-old has enjoyed an exceptional season and played a major role in Norwich’s six-point championship win. In 39 appearances, he scored 15 goals and contributed 17 assists, more than any other player in the division. Also created more chances than anyone in the Championship, made more balls and made more passes in the final third.